Nahum Rabinovich
Encyclopedia
Nahum Eliezer Rabinovich (born 1928) is a prominent Israeli Orthodox
rabbi
and posek
, and head of Yeshiva
t Birkat Moshe in Maale Adumim. He was born in Montreal
, Canada
. His late daughter is Dina Rabinovitch
.
at age 14. At age 20, he studied in Yeshivas Ner Israel
, Baltimore, where he received Semicha
from Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman. He also obtained a masters degree in mathematics
from Johns Hopkins University
.
In 1951 he married Rachel Malka Shuchatowitz, the niece of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman.
in several places and served as a congregational rabbi: Between 1952 -1963 he was the Rabbi of the Jewish Community in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1963 he was called to serve as a community Rabbi in Toronto. In the 1970s, he completed a Ph.D.
in the field of statistics
and probability in the Talmud
at the university of Toronto; the results are in his book which is highly cited: "Probability and Statistical Inference in ancient and medieval Jewish Literature" (Toronto, 1973). At that time he also gave lectures at the University and was an editor of the Rabbinical Council of America's journal "Hadarom".
Rabinovich also lived in London
(1971–1982), where he served as dean of Jews' College
and had a reputation as an influential scholar. He later agreed to be a head of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe
in Ma'ale Adummim
, Israel
, a Hesder
institution.
; he has published scientific, theological and halachic books and essays on Maimonides' writings. His philosophical approach is influenced by Maimonides' rationalism. It emphasizes the connection between philosophy and halacha, between Torah
and scientific studies and between theoretical learning and practical application in life.
In a recent interview http://www.toravoda.org.il/nlr.pdf (in Hebrew
), Rabinovich said that he backed religious studies for women and did not see a problem in Halachic
decisions taken by women. Jewish law has always spoken of monarchy as an ideal, but Rabinovitch said that it might not be dictatorial, and draws a picture of constitutional society, where the law is above all else.
In 1995, he defended a decision calling on soldiers to refuse orders for vacate army bases in the occupied territories, saying that is a classic democratic call for conscientious objection.
In 1995, before Rabin's assassination, he had given an interview to Israeli ration, saying that Rabin was a moser
--a deliverer of Jew to their enemies; however, he said resistance should be non-violent. .
On January 21, 2008, Rabbi Dov Lior
of Hebron
, Rabbi Ya'acov Shapira of Jerusalem's Mercaz haRav
Yeshiva
, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of Elon Moreh
, and Rabinovitch met at Beit HaShalom
to declare the government's policies on Israeli settlements to be "worse than the British Mandate's White Paper
."
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and posek
Posek
Posek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
, and head of Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
t Birkat Moshe in Maale Adumim. He was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His late daughter is Dina Rabinovitch
Dina Rabinovitch
Dina Rabinovitch was a British journalist and writer who wrote a column for The Guardian.An Orthodox Jew, she lived in London with her children and her second husband, renowned litigation lawyer Anthony Julius. Her father is the prominent Halakhist Rabbi Dr. Nahum Rabinovitch of Maale Adumim in...
.
Studies
Rabinovich began studying with Rabbi Pinchas HirschsprungPinchas Hirschsprung
Rabbi Pinhas Hirschprung was a Polish rabbi of Hasidic ancestry, who later emigrated to Montreal, Canada, where he served as Chief Rabbi.- Life :He was born to Rabbi Chaim Hirschprung in the city of Dukla, in Poland in 1912...
at age 14. At age 20, he studied in Yeshivas Ner Israel
Yeshiva Ner Yisrael: Ner Israel Rabbinical College
Ner Israel Rabbinical College or NIRC, is a prominent yeshiva in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1933 by Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, a disciple of Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, dean of the Slabodka yeshiva in Lithuania...
, Baltimore, where he received Semicha
Semicha
, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...
from Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman. He also obtained a masters degree in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
In 1951 he married Rachel Malka Shuchatowitz, the niece of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman.
Public Life
Rabinovich taught JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in several places and served as a congregational rabbi: Between 1952 -1963 he was the Rabbi of the Jewish Community in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1963 he was called to serve as a community Rabbi in Toronto. In the 1970s, he completed a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in the field of statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
and probability in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
at the university of Toronto; the results are in his book which is highly cited: "Probability and Statistical Inference in ancient and medieval Jewish Literature" (Toronto, 1973). At that time he also gave lectures at the University and was an editor of the Rabbinical Council of America's journal "Hadarom".
Rabinovich also lived in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(1971–1982), where he served as dean of Jews' College
Jews' College
-Origins and Remit Today:Jews' College, now known as the London School of Jewish Studies , was opened in Finsbury Square, London as a rabbinical seminary in 1855 with the support of Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler and of Sir Moses Montefiore, who had conceived the idea for such a venture as early as...
and had a reputation as an influential scholar. He later agreed to be a head of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe
Yeshivat Birkat Moshe
Yeshivat Birkat Moshe is a hesder yeshiva located in the Mitzpeh Nevo neighborhood of Maale Adumim, Israel. It was founded in 1977 by Rabbis Haim Sabato and Yitzchak Sheilat, then two young rabbis from Yeshivat HaKotel, in Jerusalem....
in Ma'ale Adummim
Ma'ale Adummim
Ma'ale Adumim is an Israeli settlement and a city in the West Bank, seven kilometers from Jerusalem. Ma'ale Adumim achieved city status in 1991. In 2011, the population was 39,000. Ma'ale Adumim is the third largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank after Modi'in Illit, and Beitar Illit. The...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, a Hesder
Hesder
Hesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...
institution.
Philosophy and major works
Rabinovich is a world renowned expert on MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
; he has published scientific, theological and halachic books and essays on Maimonides' writings. His philosophical approach is influenced by Maimonides' rationalism. It emphasizes the connection between philosophy and halacha, between Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
and scientific studies and between theoretical learning and practical application in life.
In a recent interview http://www.toravoda.org.il/nlr.pdf (in Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
), Rabinovich said that he backed religious studies for women and did not see a problem in Halachic
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
decisions taken by women. Jewish law has always spoken of monarchy as an ideal, but Rabinovitch said that it might not be dictatorial, and draws a picture of constitutional society, where the law is above all else.
In 1995, he defended a decision calling on soldiers to refuse orders for vacate army bases in the occupied territories, saying that is a classic democratic call for conscientious objection.
In 1995, before Rabin's assassination, he had given an interview to Israeli ration, saying that Rabin was a moser
Moser
- People :* Annemarie Moser-Pröll , Austrian skier* Barry Moser , American illustrator* Benjamin Moser, , American columnist and author* Caroline Moser English Urban Anthropologist...
--a deliverer of Jew to their enemies; however, he said resistance should be non-violent. .
On January 21, 2008, Rabbi Dov Lior
Dov Lior
Dov Lior is an Israeli rabbi, who currently serves as the Chief Rabbi of Hebron and Kiryat Arba in the southern West Bank. He is also the rosh yeshiva Kiryat Arba Hesder Yeshiva, and also heads the "Council of Rabbis of Judea and Samaria".-Biography:...
of Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
, Rabbi Ya'acov Shapira of Jerusalem's Mercaz haRav
Mercaz haRav
Mercaz HaRav , more properly, Mercaz HaRav Kook ), is a national-religious yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, founded in 1924 by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. It has become synonymous with his teachings....
Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon of Elon Moreh
Elon Moreh
Elon Moreh is an Israeli settlement located in the Samarian hills of the West Bank northeast of Nablus on the slopes of the Mount Kabir ridge....
, and Rabinovitch met at Beit HaShalom
Beit HaShalom
Beit HaShalom, , or the Al Rajabi House settlement is a four-story structure that housed a local Hebron Jewish community of 25 families, youth and yeshiva students. The structure is located on the main road linking Kiryat Arba to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron...
to declare the government's policies on Israeli settlements to be "worse than the British Mandate's White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
."
Hebrew
- Yad Peshuta (יד פשוטה) Commentary on Maimonides' halachic book "Mishne Torah" - 14 volumes.
- Melumdei Milchama (מלומדי מלחמה) - Responsa on halachic questions about military service
- Darkah shel Torah (דרכה של תורה) - halakhic-philosophical actual essays
- Hadar Itamar (הדר איתמר) - Finis on the Talmud
- Iyunim be-Mishnato shel ha-Rambam (עיונים במשנתו של הרמב"ם)
- Siach Nachum (שיח נחום) - Responsa on halachic questions
English
- Rabbi Hasdai Crescas (1340–1410) on Numerical Infinities - Isis, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Summer, 1970), pp. 224–230
- Studies in the History of Probability and Statistics. XXII: Probability in the Talmud - Biometrika, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Aug., 1969), pp. 437–441
- Torah and Science: Conflict or Complement - Challenge: Torah Views on Science and its Problems, Feldheim Publishers pp. 44
- Torah and the Spirit of Free Enquiry - Challenge: Torah Views on Science and its Problems, Feldheim Publishers pp. 54
- The one and the many: Early stochastic reasoning in philosophy - Annals of Science, Volume 34, Issue 4 July 1977, pp. 331 – 344
- Early antecedents of error theory - Archive for History of Exact Sciences, Volume 13, Number 4 / December, 1974 pp. 348–358
- Halachah and Technology - Proceedings of the Associations of Orthodox Jewish Scientists 2 (1969) pp. 129–149
- All Jews Are Responsible for One Another - Jewish Tradition and the Nontraditional Jew. Ed. Jacob J. Schacter. Northvale, NJ.: Aronson, 1992 pp. 177–204
- Probability and statistical interference in ancient and medieval Jewish literature - University of Toronto Press, 1973
- Rabbi Levi ben Gershom and the origins of mathematical induction - Archive for History of Exact Sciences, num.6, pp. 237–248, 1970